ACTU chief Sally McManus branded a ‘stooge’ in union war

ACTU secretary Sally McManus has come under fire from John Setka’s branch of the CFMEU over pay.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus. Picture: AAP

John Setka’s CFMEU branch has blasted ACTU secretary Sally McManus as “un-Australian” and a “stooge”, as his supporters launched an extraordinary attack on the union’s national leader, Michael O’Connor.

Renewing public hostilities with Ms McManus, who has previously called on him to resign, Mr Setka’s Victorian branch of the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union lashed out at the ACTU on Friday for backing an agreement between the shop assistants union and employers to waive overtime rates for part-time fast-food workers during the pandemic.

The Fair Work Commission delayed any endorsement of the deal, seen as benefiting companies including McDonald’s, after objections by the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union.

In a Facebook post on Friday, the CFMEU Victorian construction branch congratulated the RAFFWU and lashed out at Ms McManus, ACTU president Michel­e O’Neil and ACTU assistant secretary Liam O’Brien.

“Well done to the RAFFWU and the members you represent,” it said. “You stood up against the SDA (shop assistants union) and the three ACTU stooges — Sally ‘McDonalds’ McManus, Liam ‘Couldn’t-organise-a-cup-of-­coffee’ O’Brien and Michelle ­‘Reduce-your-members’ O’Neill — who tried (and failed!) to reduce­ penalty rates for already low-paid, hard-working and vulnerable­ workers. How un-Australian! Maybe they should take pay cuts themselves.”

John Setka and wife Emma Walters. Picture: Mark Stewart

In an earlier post, the CFMEU’s Victorian branch said the SDA, backed by the ACTU, had teamed up with the Australian Industry Group to cut overtime rates and other conditions of fast-food workers.

“The ACTU has been closed for weeks amid the pandemic, and should probably stay closed post COVID-19 instead of actively campaigning against fast-food workers! Sally McManus or Sally McDonalds!?” it said.

The ACTU declined to comment on Friday. Mr Setka’s branch endorsed a Facebook post by veteran militant and former CFMEU official Joe McDonald attacking Mr O’Connor for taking­ legal action against Mr Setka for allegedly poaching members from a rival division.

Mr McDonald’s post accused Mr O’Connor of failing to back Mr Setka when he was facing calls to resign last year after being charged with harassing his wife and the ALP moved to expel him.

“Michael, this goes back to the attack on John, and when your ­silence at a time when people were piling onto the bandwagon was deafening. I was proud to stand with John then, as I am now — along with many others who don’t shy away from militancy and honour,” the post said.

Mr McDonald’s post said Mr O’Connor did “our cause no favours when you drag a fellow secretary into court, break the sanctity of the executive and use the information to advance your own position”.

Commenting on the post, an account belonging to Mr Setka’s partner, Emma Walters, said she “totally agrees” with Mr McDonald, claiming Mr O’Connor was “out of touch” with his members. “I think he discarded unionism in favour of self-interest, self promotion and political point-scoring a long time ago,” she said.

Mr O’Connor did not respond to requests for comment.